


flower inscribed with woe, narcissus in the dirt.

by gardenofgod



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Norse Religion & Lore, Explicit Sexual Content, M/M, a mix bag of mythology honestly narcissus is greek, donghyuck is the son of skadi, god of wisdom against the giantess of the moon, minhyung is a son of odin
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-07
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:35:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27939782
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gardenofgod/pseuds/gardenofgod
Summary: Here Minhyung stands, heir banished from his kingdom, unless he can bring the boy he had jilted many moons ago back to Asgard, as his rightful consort.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Mark Lee
Comments: 3
Kudos: 29





	flower inscribed with woe, narcissus in the dirt.

_**teaser** _

Lee Donghyuck, who had come to Asgard under half a threat and half a plea by Odin, came next. Minhyung had caught glances of his husband-to-be, clad in golden armour, thin waist secured with leather, olive skin doused in aurum, shimmering under the light of the flickering candles in the Main Hall.

_I gave you a husband,_ Odin’s letter to the boy’s mother had read. _It’s time for you to return one to Asgard._

Bitter as Skadi was over her broken marriage, this was the will of the Almighty God. She had sent Donghyuck, young and ingenuous, wrapped in the fur of a mountain lion – a macabre burial shroud.

His eyes were fearful, but not guileless, Minhyung recalls. Like a gladiator given a moment of respite, at rest but always ready for battle, nevertheless. The kind, gentle slope of his nose reflected the glow of the evening sun, tipping straight down into its soft, round end – the boy’s philtrum an empty pool for the accumulation of ichor. The kind that only gods in love would be able to bless down upon the earth – dripping from a fervent lip-lock. Donghyuck’s mouth did look exquisite, but Minhyung wasn’t in love, back then.

He was a scared godling, on the day of his wedding, and he is frightened, even now.

They had put narcissi in Donghyuck’s hair, done up all pretty for Minhyung. An overtly deliberate attempt at invoking memories of an age-old myth – of a beautiful young hunter beyond the walls of Asgard. Of Narcissus, who could wield his bow and stun the masses; who could probably have shot the sun down if he wished to. But Minhyung had always been a man for subtleties.

They had forgotten that Donghyuck was also the son of the sea – and he who sought his reflection in the water would only meet the tragic end of unattainable affection. Minhyung could never have seen his beauty back then – when the boy was just a pawn in Odin’s desperate desire for control over his youngest son. All he envisioned was the clipping of pinions, a gilded cage for the bird of prey.

Minhyung, ever so cowardly, watched the boy from behind a veil, and took flight before his wings would wither.

From the tower beyond the Grand Temple of Asgard, Minhyung could hear his consort’s humiliation ringing loud and clear. His heavenly prince, his husband who was supposed to take his hand in marriage – had absconded. The ceremony had come to a standstill, and the uneasy energy that had been thrumming through the land reached a fever pitch. The fireworks released in consolation seemed like cannons signifying surrender at the end of a futile war.

At midnight, Skadi, giantess of winter and the hunt, stretched a huge hand into the fortress where Minhyung had been hiding, wrapping two fingers round his entire torso. Her son, face red with tears, had closed his puffy eyes in slumber, exhausted from the festivities and the insult – tucked safely away in the pocket of her dress. He remembers holding his breath, ready to meet his demise, but all she had done was give him a harsh, suffocating squeeze.

_I’ll make you regret it_ , she had murmured in his ear, curling out of the tower in an icy draft.

**Author's Note:**

> god, this idea came to me near midnight, and here I am, hunched over my computer, thousands of jumbled words and thoughts into this story. my apologies for this being a mere taste test, me dipping my toes into the cold water of world-building. i'm sure the fever will continue throughout the holiday season, so please, please, on odin's name, wait for me.


End file.
